I’m on day 3 of a hopefully longer fast. (Was going to fast for lent but started late). My dad’s 80th birthday is on April 1st and he wants to go to a restaurant with big meat dishes, potatoes ect. hold the vegetables. I want to fast longer but obviously will have to break fast for this event.
So how do I go about eating there without dire consequences, and making it easy to get back to fasting? There may be soup and salad available.
Thank you in advance for any and all help.
Everyone is different… but your digestive system will be 100% shutdown by 21 days. You will likely only be able to eat a few bites of food before becoming extremely full.
You likely won’t be able to eat anywhere normal portions until at least 8 hours after your first bites of food.
Maybe just make this fast a 14 day fast. Have you ever fasted for long periods of time before? Unless your Obese it can become very challenging. 14+ days is a rare feat. You will not be able to function normally longer than 5 days if you’re in the normal BMI range.
Here are some educational videos about fasting and why you should take care breaking a longer water fast:
WATER FASTING: The Complete Guide (Fastest Fat Loss Method)
WATER FASTING & SALT: Should You Consume Sodium While Fasting? IMPORTANT
HOW TO BREAK A FAST: Best Results & Worst Mistakes (Refeed Syndrome)
OP I know some are not concerned about it but I would be careful going for that long and breaking and eating at a restaurant later on. I would do as someone else suggested with a 14 day fast just so you are not at risk for refeeding syndrome.
Idu this thought process at all. Why even risk it. Just do a 20 day fast instead. Have bone broth. Then something light like some veggies or something. Then have have a bit more. Then go to the restaurant. And even that is cutting it kinda close. Idu why you would go to a restaurant just to barely eat and get sick.
if you are going for 21 straight days, the worst time to refeed is with restaurant food. everything is high sodium. you must avoid sodium in this time. end your fast this week. do your multi week fast after your dad’s birthday. dont give him a birthday gift from hell.
refeed syndrome is dangerous. fasting makes you more insulin sensitive, so it takes very little carbohydrate/insulin to cause a major cascade of electrolytes out of your blood and into your cells, which can cause seizures, heart problems, etc. break your fast much sooner than a day.
do not eat an entire solid meal. your intestines will completely stop and will back you up, and you may either need to take a laxative or go to the hospital. your intestines will be too weak to move food hardly at all. it takes time to build them back up. break your fast much sooner than 1 day.
your stomach could also hurt just from drinking a caloric liquid if you happen to drink the wrong one, even if its deemed safe, and this last one is just a mild effect.
Yeah, you really have to eat. It’s kind of in your head that anybody cares. It’s your body, your going on a long fast, you don’t need to make a big deal about it.
If you want to eat you should just break it and allow your body to prepare and don’t let that be your first meal breaking the fast.
There is no shame in that either.